When the Steipler zt"l was Awestruck by Rabbi Berland shlit"a and Said: "He Has Very Great Yirat Shamayim (Fear of Heaven)"

On one of the occasions when Rabbi Moshe Cohen entered the room of the Steipler zt"l (of blessed memory) just after the Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) had left, the Steipler expressed his admiration in Yiddish, saying: "He has very great Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven)."

The grandson of Rabbi Moshe Cohen—a Litvish (Lithuanian-style) kollel student from Modi'in Illit and the grandson of the gabbai (synagogue administrator) of the Lederman Synagogue in Bnei Brak—told the "Information Line" about the connection he heard from his grandfather between Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky zt"l (known as the "Steipler"), who passed away on the 23rd of Av 5745 (1985) and was one of the leaders of the Litvish Charedi community in Israel and the father of the Sar HaTorah (Prince of Torah) Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt"l, and Rabbi Berland shlit"a.

"Over fifty years ago, my grandfather began studying at the Volozhin Kollel (institute for advanced Torah study), and Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a was also studying there at the time. The Rav shlit"a did not have a chavrusa (study partner), so they arranged to learn together. They were chavrusas for about a year and a half, for half of each day."

"With Reb Lazer (Rabbi Berland), a great hasmadah (diligence) in study and punctuality were evident; he would even remind my grandfather to arrive on time for the kollel's study sessions."

The Rav had a notebook in which he would record all his conversations with the Steipler zt"l, and many people would later ask to look through and read the notebook to see what the Steipler had answered Reb Lazer.

"On one of the occasions when my grandfather entered the Steipler zt"l's room right after the Rav had left, the Steipler remarked with admiration in Yiddish: 'He has very great Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven).'"

It is known that the Rav searched for his path among several Chassidic groups. Once, he told the Steipler zt"l that he was seeking strengthening in his prayer and asked what he should do. The Steipler answered him: "He should go to the Chassidim." The Rav asked, "To which Chassidus (Chassidic group)?" The Steipler zt"l replied: "You will find it yourself," and that is how the Rav arrived at Breslov Chassidus.

"The Rav would also help people with money, and many took advantage of the Rav's kind heart, involving him in complications more than once. This reached the ears of the Steipler zt"l, and he made a sort of vow that people should not borrow money from him, so as not to bring him into such situations again."